By Lisa Wilmore
2 Kings 2:2 (KJV)
…“And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee…”
Dear Hearts,
We live in a time where true commitment is becoming harder to recognize. Many people are pulled in numerous directions, regularly pursuing personal ambitions while unintentionally neglecting the things that matter most to God. Oftentimes, people are willing to go only “a piece of the way,” but God is calling for hearts that are willing to go all the way. In particular, families are under pressure, marriages face many challenges, leaders carry heavy burdens, and even our children are growing up in a world that constantly competes for their hearts and attention. Yet in the midst of it all, God still desires a people who will remain faithful to Him.
As I read the biblical account of Elijah being taken into heaven and his last moments with Elisha in 2 Kings chapter 2, I could not help but remember something my grandmother, God rest her soul, used to talk about. She would tell how she and her friends growing up in the “country,” before people commonly owned cars, or had access to other means of transportation would walk each other home after visits. Because they enjoyed one another’s company so deeply, they would walk each other “a piece of the way” home. One friend would walk the other a piece of the way, then the other would turn around and walk her friend a little farther. They would walk back and forth, neither wanting to be the first to let go of the fellowship, until finally one of them would decide to “go all the way” and see the other safely home.
In those days, going a “piece of the way” simply meant accompanying someone part of the journey, an act of care and companionship. But over time, the saying came to represent a willingness not just to begin with someone, but to stay with them until the end of journey. That same spirit of devotion and loyalty is illuminated in 2 Kings chapter 2 of Elijah’s and Elisha’s final journey together.
This biblical account reminds us that true loyalty is shown by those who remain steadfast to the very end. After God told Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor (1 Kings 19:16, 19), Elisha refused to go only a “piece of the way” but stayed faithfully with Elijah until the end. (2 Kings 2:9-10).
Though Elijah repeatedly told Elisha to stay behind, Elisha responded each time with loyalty, determination, and spiritual persistence. Are you willing to go only a “piece of the way” with God, or all the way? Do not leave God because He will never leave you.
Jesus Saves!
